Chapter 1: The Early Harrells in America

  

            There were Harrells among the early settlers in America. They did not necessarily all leave their homelands with the Harrell name, however. Some emigrants left under the name of Harrwell, some Harrold, and, of course, some as Harrell—why most of them changed to the Harrell spelling soon after they arrived in America will probably remain forever a curiosity. There were probably several reasons for the name changes—more than likely it was often because scribes in different regions of America spelled the names to the best of their abilities and according to the developing accents in a given region. That was probably more often the case when a settler did not recognize the written word. Nonetheless, many of these early settlers ended up using the Harrell spelling, which suggests that was already the established spelling in this place—or at least the spelling most familiar to scribes and county clerks.

 

            Other researchers have undertaken the task of arranging and connecting the fragments of information that exists for the Harrells in northeastern, North Carolina. Their work has been helpful to me and many others, so I have started this chapter with a brief review of their work as it relates to my purpose. Then I summarize the available information on Harrell immigrants, and try to chart their descent into the Albemarle region of the Carolinas. Next I have attempted to plot their settlement patterns around the area that would become Hertford County with the use of property deeds, tax lists, and wills. With this endeavor I seek to identify the legendary “Seven Harrell Brothers” who settled in northeastern, North Carolina.

 

Some Other Research on Harrell Ancestors in the Area

 

            The efforts by researchers to compile the citings of Harrells beginning in the Colonial period have found that the Harrells in Virginia during the early 1600s and 1700s clustered in and around the Nansemond County area on Virginia’s southern border.

 

The Work of Marilu Burch Smallwood

 

            The broadest survey of these early settlers was compiled by Marilu Burch Smallwood.[1] She listed all the references to Harrells (in its various early spellings) she could find, and her sources of information. Marilu’s primary concern, however, was with a branch of the Harrells that moved early from Virginia to South Carolina and on to Georgia. She pays less attention to the Harrells who moved from Virginia to North Carolina and stayed for awhile—like one or two hundred years. Nevertheless, it is obvious that she covered all the important county, state, and federal archives and libraries which makes her work a very useful point of departure for this early period.

 [page 5]

 

The Work of Orrin Felton Harrell & Margaret Harrell Williams

 

            Another type of compilation of information on Harrells in the area is much more modest in scope. The works of Orrin Felton Harrell and Margaret Harrell Williams, while different projects, use much of the same information for the first generations in America, but ultimately each focuses on one particular line of Harrells descending from an early resident. The project compiled by Margaret is based on research done by Orrin (died 1988) of Ahoskie, Hertford County, North Carolina.[2] Orrin’s research was designed to trace his ancestors from their arrival in Virginia.

 

            In their works, Orrin Harrell and Margaret Williams determined their lines began with Thomas Harrwell who was born in 1606, and left England at the age of 29. He sailed on the ship Falcon which left from Grovesend, Kent County, England on December 19, 1635. These researchers believe Thomas changed the spelling of his name to Harrell by the time he landed in Virginia, and they refer to him as Thomas Harrwell I, and to his son as Thomas Harrell II. These same works indicate that Thomas Harrell II proved he was the son and heir of Thomas Harrwell I, then deceased, and Thomas II received a grant in 1681 for land his father had purchased in Nansemond County, Virginia. These researchers also state that Thomas II got two additional land grants, one in 1686 and another in 1698. They add a third generation to this line of Harrells when they cite Thomas II along with his probable son, Thomas Harrell III, on the tax roll in 1704 for Nansemond County. Orrin and Margaret believe Thomas Harrell III was the father of Samuel Harrell (died in 1761 in Chowan County, North Carolina) who was their proven great, great, great, great grandfather.

 

Orrin and Margaret’s ancestor, Samuel, apparently ends up in North Carolina when the border with Virginia is surveyed and moved down a bit. Orrin was convinced that all Harrells in America descended from Thomas Harrwell I, and Margaret agreed. It follows then, that the original Seven Brothers, who according to tradition, were the first Harrells to move into North Carolina, were descended from Thomas I, II, and probably III. There is no confirmation of this, however. I have some trouble with their conclusion because it would mean all other Harrells who came to America had no descendants—that is not very likely the case.

 

            More specifically, Orrin describes his line as ascending through David Harrell (died 1860), then through David’s father, Samuel Harrell (died 1825), and in turn through his father, William Harrell (died 1762), then through his father, Samuel Harrell (died c. 1761), and then upward through three Thomas Harrells ending with the Thomas Harrwell I, who was born in 1606. Orrin’s line of Harrells, starting from Samuel, was in the area that would later be known as Gates County; Orrin himself did not get to Hertford County, North Carolina until the 20th Century, but other descendants of Samuel were in Hertford County much earlier.

 [page 6]

  

The Work of Lellie Harrell Edwards, Katherine Edwards Meech & Travis Meech Peters

 

            In another study Lellie Harrell Edwards and a couple of her descendants[3] have identified their immigrant ancestor as Samuel Harold, who was born in Kent County, England around 1662, and who settled in an area of Perquimans County that would eventually be Gates County, North Carolina. If their Samuel settled in the Perquimans area, he more than likely arrived in Virginia. Once again, upon arrival, they feel his name became Harrell. These researchers claim Samuel was the Harrell who originally purchased the land that would be known as the Harrell Farm for generations. It is “thought to be” on Sugar Run. They also suggest that Samuel came with two brothers, one settling in Nansemond County Virginia, and the other south to Bertie County, North Carolina. There is no evidence of such brothers, but with several as yet still unconnected Harrells in the area of Nansemond County, it is very possible. Lellie et. al. claim to descend from this Samuel (born 1662) through his son James (died 1790), and through James’ son Major Samuel (died 1811), and through his son Noah (died 1849). Major Samuel Harrell had twelve children, several of whom moved from Gates to Hertford County: They were Abner, James, and Mary Wilson—Abner became the namesake of Harrellsville in Hertford County.

 

Lellie et. al. apparently did descend from Major Samuel, but the Major’s parentage is still a bit unclear. First of all, the researchers identified a Samuel (1662-1753), who was born in Kent County, England. I have not been able to find a record of their Samuel coming to these shores, and they did not provide a reference.

 

The Work of Benjamin B. Winborne

 

Benjamin Winborne’s work is a history of the county; not a family history, but it includes considerable information about some of the Harrell families in and around Hertford County. At this point, his work is of interest to me because there were several Samuel Harrells in the area and time period, and it is often difficult to keep the information we have about them straight—it is nonetheless important to try. In this spirit, I will start by clarifying one of his observations. Winborne wrote his History of Hertford County in the early 1900s, and most of the time it is very useful, but occasionally it is misleading. On one of the latter occasions, Winborne’s work contains the following comment:[4]

 

“Maj. Samuel Harrell was on the jury list in Bertie in 1740, and had often served his county in the capacity as Clerk of the Court, and was made major in the state troops after the war, and resigned the office in 1783.”

 

Well, Major Samuel was probably not on the jury list 10 years before he was born. (Winborne also has him at the Hillsboro convention in 1788, which is consistent with other information.) Further on in his history, when writing of the Major’s son, Abner, Winborne made a more correct statement about Major Samuel, which reads as follows:[5]

 

“…. He was the son of Maj. Samuel Harrell, who resigned his military office in 1783. Samuel Harrell was a soldier in the War of 1776-1782, a member of the state Convention of 1788, a son of Abner Harrell, a freeholder in Bertie County in 1740, as appears from the jury list of that county. Major Harrell left the following children: Noah, James, William B., Willis, Isaac, Andrew, and Abner, Mary and Nancy.”

 [page 7]

The second quote is correct, Major Samuel’s father, Abner, was on the Bertie County jury list in 1740. Which tells us Major Samuel and his father, who was probably James Abner Harrell, both spent a good portion of their lives in Bertie County—probably the northern part that would years later become Hertford County.

 

Several researchers agree Major Samuel was one of the early Harrells in North Carolina, and his presence and children are well documented. He was the son of James according to Lellie et. al., and the son of Abner according to others—Lellie et. al. suggested his name may have been James Abner Harrell, and that he was known as Abner Harrell. It makes perfect sense to think she was correct on this point.

 

On the issue of identifying Samuel Harrell, Lellie et. al. concluded that her line was: Samuel (b. 1662); to James (b. 1708, maybe James Abner); to Major Samuel (1750-1811, see his will of 1811); to Noah (b. 1787); to Samuel Riddick Harrell (b. 1812); to William Preston Harrell (b. 1843); and to Lellie Hines Harrell (b. 1875).

 

It is important to note at this point that Lellie’s account of her immigrant ancestor (Samuel from Kent County, England) is very much like the one given first by Major Samuel’s grandson, William Bernard Harrell, whose work is discussed below—Lellie et. al. may have relied on this source.

 

The Work of William Bernard Harrell

 

There is no dispute about the facts that Major Samuel was born on the family farm in the Gates area around 1750; and most researchers point to his will of 1811 as indicating the year of his death. Major Samuel’s grandson, William Bernard Harrell, however, included in his autobiography a reference to Major Samuel’s year of death in 1828.[6] William Bernard (1823-1906) may have been old enough to have known his grandfather, but because William’s immediate family was living in Suffolk, Virginia at that time, he probably did not know him well. For our purposes, at his point, it does not matter much which date of death is correct—it is clear from the 1811 will and William Bernard’s material, that they are speaking of the same person, Major Samuel. Lellie et. al. had determined they descended from Major Samuel’s son, Noah, and William Bernard indicated he descended from Major Samuel’s son, James (b. 1792).

 

            In addition, William Bernard Harrell included in his work a list of his ancestors as recorded in a family Bible. This Biblical record maintains the following:[7]

 

“Samuel Harrell - Born on the Harrell farm near Sunbury, 1750? - He died at the same place in 1828? - A large planter and slave-owner. He was a soldier in the Revolution. He was the son of

 

James Harrell - Born 1708 on the Harrell Farm. Died at his home in 1790. Planter and Merchant, with a large country store. He was the son of

 [page 8]

Samuel Harrell - Born 1663 in Kent County, England. Original purchaser of the Harrell Farm, where he engaged largely in farming and also ran a store. He died there (cir.) 1753. This man is supposed to have originally spelled his name “Harold,” though after his coming to America, the name became spelled as at present.”

 

The lineage, however, may not be as certain as Samuel’s grandson had determined. As I will discuss in the coming pages, several researchers identified three or more Samuel Harrells in the Gates area at about the same time. My point is, there has to be some uncertainty about who Major Samuel’s father was, and even more uncertainty about the identity of his grandfather.

 

For instance, I mentioned earlier that Winborne in his history of Hertford County stated there was an Abner Harrell who was the father of Major Samuel Harrell.[8] I further mentioned that Lellie et. al. had stated that the Major’s father was James. Lellie et. al. suggested we reconcile the difference by considering there may have been a  James Abner Harrell who fathered Major Samuel—that seems reasonable, but not yet a fact.

 

In addition, Lellie et. al. either based their conclusions on the information provided by William Bernard Harrell, or found information consistent with what can be found in the latter's’ family Bible. They both seem to agree that Major Samuel was the grandson of Samuel Harold (Harrell) of Kent (born there in 1662). We should also keep in mind, I still have not been able to find a record of a Samuel Harrell (or Harold) as an emigrant from England.

 

            In the above paragraphs, I have outlined two claims of descent from emigrant Harrells—Orrin’s claim to have descended from emigrant Thomas Harrwell, and the claim of others who link their lines to the emigrant Samuel Harold of Kent. It is not easy to conclude that Orrin’s (and Margaret’s) line and William Bernard’s (and Lellie et. al.’s) line of Harrells have a common ancestor in America because there is no convincing evidence of this yet. Nonetheless, as stated above, Orrin and others believed this was probably the case.

 

We can recall, Orrin described his line as going through David Harrell (died 1860), then David’s father Samuel Harrell (died 1825), and through his father William Harrell (died 1762), and through William’s father, Samuel Harrell (died c. 1761), and upward through three Thomas Harrells. Orrin speculates that Major Samuel Harrell (died 1811), the father of Abner, may have descended directly from his Samuel Harrell who died in 1761, thus making Orrin and Lellie distant cousins—this is possible, but as yet very difficult to document. The point is, the records are very skimpy, and the inferences are very long. Nevertheless, both lines have Samuel Harrells in the same time frame, and who settled in an area that would become Gates County, North Carolina. A major part of the uncertainty about all Harrells here having a common emigrant ancestor results from the loss of records by fire in  Nansemond County Virginia.

 [page 9]

 The Work of Elizabeth J. Harrell Gerlack

 

In another study, Elizabeth J. Harrell,[9] traced the line of Lott Harrell (his estimated birth year is in the 1770s, and he died around 1814), through his father (either Lott Sr. or his brother John Harrell), to his grandfather, Abraham Harrell (c. 1690-1755). Elizabeth acknowledges that because so many documents from Nansemond County, Virginia were destroyed, Lott’s connection to his ancestors “...can only be speculated upon.” She does, nonetheless, feel Lott descends from the emigrant, Thomas Harrell, who purchased land in Nansemond County in 1662 and 1676. Descending from Thomas for “several generations,” Elizabeth’s line arrives at Abraham, who moved south to the North Carolina Colony near the Roanoke River in Bertie County, which was where Lott Harrell was born around 1770.

 

            Elizabeth seems fairly certain that Abraham descended from Thomas Harrell, and that position is consistent with Orrin’s conclusions which were presented in the paragraphs above—mainly, that all the Harrells in the area descended from his original Thomas Harrell I. Indeed, Elizabeth’s Abraham (c.1690-1755) could well have been the brother (or, of course, even a cousin) of Orrin’s Samuel (c. 1700-1761), and both could have descended from Thomas Harrell. These lines match well, generation to generation. For instance, Orrin’s Samuel (b. c. 1700) was responsible for the following children: Isaac, Abraham, William, Samuel, Martha, and Rachel. We know Orrin descended from William, and consequently, we have estimated dates for William; born about 1720, and died 1762. Elizabeth’s Abraham had eleven children with birth years estimated to be from 1722 to 1744, and death dates in the 1770s. The children of Samuel and Abraham seem to be of the same generation—Samuel and Abraham were probably two of the original Seven Brothers that tradition holds were the first Harrells in North Carolina (of course, some may have been cousins).

 

            Once again, as with Samuel, we have no evidence that Abraham was the son of Thomas Harrell. As Elizabeth indicates, “Lott’s immigrant ancestor was probably Thomas Harrell.”[10] Maintaining a spirit of caution, I agree with Elizabeth’s choice of words—it is at best a “probable” relationship.

 

It is possible Thomas was the father of the probable brothers, Samuel and Abraham, but there are other possibilities. They could have descended from the Thomas Harrald who died in Virginia between 1622 and 1629; or the Thomas Harrwell who arrived in Barbados in 1635; or John Harrold who arrived in Virginia in 1655; or Christopher and Henry Harrell who arrived in Virginia together in 1678. The list is not endless, but it is full of possibilities. In the following section, I have surveyed the possible Harrell immigrant ancestors.

 

The Harrell Immigrants

 

            As I indicated above, there were several immigrants who started or ended spelling their name, Harrell. The first thing to acknowledge is that not all people who ended up in America can be found on the available passenger lists. For instance, there was the Thomas Harralde who is reported in the “Minuets of Council and General Court, James City, Virginia, 1622-29. At that place, Hugh Hayward and Robert [page 10] Fitt sore they were present when the then deceased Thomas Harralde made his will, and they witnessed it.[11] I will call him, Immigrant No. 1.

 

If Orrin’s Thomas Harrwell I, came to America in 1635, and the above mentioned Thomas Harralde died here between 1622 and 1629, then we have at least two immigrant Thomases.

 

In any case, we can consider Orrin’s Thomas Harrwell I as Emigrant No. 2. This was probably the same Thomas Harrwell, age 29, who was transported from London to Barbados on the Falcon, December 19, 1635.[12]

 

The Quit Rent Rolls for Nansemond County, Virginia in 1704 show the presence of the two Thomas Harralds—Thomas II and III (as in Orrin’s and Elizabeth’s work). The Rolls shows “Thos. Harrold 652 a.: & Thomas Harrold 100 a.”[13]

 

Lellie Edwards et. al. is pretty sure her Harrells descend from Samuel Harold, born around 1662 in Kent County, England. But I can’t find a reference for an immigrant named Samuel Harrell (using the various spellings). Similarly, William Bernard Harrell’s family Bible specifies that his line also descends from Samuel, born in Kent County, England in 1663, and that he was the Samuel who bought and settled the original Harrell farm in the Gates area. Again, however, I have not found him on any passenger list, but it is hard to ignore his past presence—so I have labeled him Emigrant No. 3.

 

            Furthermore, there is additional information indicating all Harrells in the area did not necessarily descend from Thomas Harrwell or Samuel Harold. The following citings expand the “first American ancestor” possibilities:

 

Emigrant No. 4 can be found in the following reference: John Jenkins 400 acres, called Egg Neck, in Northampton Co, Va. 17 March 1655. p. 31 (49) for transportation of 8 persons, John Harrold, was one of them.[14] According to the Virginia County Court Note Books, a “John Harrold was a Virginia Colonist of Northampton Co. Va. in 1655.”[15] This is certainly the same fellow who was brought in March 1655 by John Jenkins.

 

Emigrants No. 5 and No. 6 came together and in similar circumstances. On October 7, 1678, several people were apprenticed in Bristol and came to Virginia. Among them were Christopher Harrell apprenticed to Anthony Thieron for 8 years in Virginia; and Henry Harrell also to Thieron in Virginia, but for 10 years—both came on the Victory.[16]

 

Emigrant No. 7. “Thos. Ivey on April 8, 1711 patented 374 acres in Princess Anne Co. Va. for bringing 8 settlers.” They included Garratt Harrell.[17]

 [page 11]

As far as I have been able to determine, these are the only Harrells to arrive in Virginia before some of the Virginia Harrells began to move south into the Albemarle area of North Carolina in the 1720s.

 

            In any case, there were at least seven different Harrells who arrived on this continent by 1711. There were, in fact, others who continued to arrive in America after the Harrells started to move south into North Carolina: In 1730, Thomas Harrold, age 18, apprenticed to work 6 years in Pennsylvania; and in 1734, Robert Harold, “Sentenced to transportation and reprieved for transportation Summer 1734. Suffolk.[18] The 1730 and 1734 immigrants arrived after Harrells had already begun to move into North Carolina—so they are not good candidates for the Harrell lines in Nansemond, County Va. who moved down to the North Carolina area in and before the 1720s, but they could have moved down in the 1740s or later.

 

As I have made clear, I am not inclined to assume all Harrells who passed through or settled in North Carolina descend from Thomas or Samuel. In particular, I find it hard to dismiss the 1678 immigrants, Christopher and Henry (who appear together as witnesses on a deed in Bertie County in 1741), or even the 1711 immigrant, Garratt Harrell, who must also be considered a possible ancestor to at least one of us. We need to also keep in mind that the Harrell lines in early Bertie and Hertford Counties used the name John in nearly every generation. So the John Harrold who arrived in Northampton, Va. in 1655 may have been the immigrant ancestor to at least some of the Harrell lines.

 

            There are other references to Harrells in Nansemond County, Virginia which carry names of Harrells, some immigrants, some their sons and even grandsons. For instance, an item in the records of  Perquimans County N. C. contains this information: “…. John Harrell of Upper Parish of Nansemond Co. in Virginia, unto Richd Harrell, of afore’ for 10 lbs. ‘Right as by assignment of Wm. Kitchen to whom the Patent was grt.’ 1728.”[19] Another source cites “Wm. Ward of Nansemond County Va., to Samuel Harrell, 160 acres—Part of a patent to John Moore, Nov. 17, 1700.”[20] This must be the same or adjacent land to that supposedly bought by Thomas Harrell from John Moore, and then willed to Thomas’ son, Samuel Sr. of Chowan County, North Carolina. This same source also shows William Hareild was a witness to Richard Bond’s will in Nansemond Co. Va. Jan. 15, 1727.[21] In addition, Edward Harrell married Margaret Brumwell on April 20, 1707 in Middlesex, Virginia. This may have been one of the first settlers in North Carolina, who died in Bertie County in 1754. Another Harrell who left his tracts in the real estate of Nansemond County, Virginia was “Francis Harrell of Nansemond County, Virginia. He sold land in 1731 to John White of Nansemond County. This same Francis Harrell of Nansemond County, Virginia sold land to Richard Baker on the east side of Northwest Swamp, adjoining lands of Richard Parker, in Chowan County, North Carolina.[22]

 [page 12]

  

The First Records of Harrells in The Albemarle region.

 

            It is clear most of the first Harrell settlers in northeastern North Carolina were from Nansemond County in Virginia. The early deeds in the area usually read, for instance, “Joseph Harrell of Nansemond County, Virginia,” and the same for many other Harrells. This point was also recognized by an early historian from Norfolk, W. Squires, when he said, “Nansemond County, Virginia, was the mother of North Carolina.” This point was reiterated by W. E. McClenny in his The History of Gates County.[23]

 

As indicated, many Harrells had gathered in and around Nansemond Co., Virginia by 1720, and it is very hard to know which immigrants they had descended from. Nevertheless, in the following section, I have formulated a list of the Harrells in northeastern North Carolina in the early 1700s. As I mentioned above, tradition holds that there were Seven Brothers who were the first Harrell settlers in North Carolina., and in some cases beyond. There are, of course, no documents indicating the first Harrells to North Carolina were brothers—some of them may well have been cousins. More important, however, is the fact that in the first years, there were more than seven Harrells who moved in this time period from Virginia to northeastern North Carolina.

 

Based on my survey of the documents from the area, the first Harrells to settle in North Carolina were: Samuel of Kent, Samuel of Chowan, Thomas, Joseph, John Sr., John Jr., Abraham, Edward, Francis, and Richard. There may well have been some already in North Carolina, who were not involved in recording deeds—thus left no tracts.

 

The Albemarle Region: Its Precincts and Counties

 

     The northeastern part of North Carolina was first called the Albemarle region. The Lords Proprietors in 1663 established the first government in Albemarle County. By 1670, Albemarle County was divided into 4 Precincts: Currituck, Pasquotank, Perquimans, and Chowan. Most Harrells were in Chowan Precinct. It takes some effort to keep tract of where they settled because part of Chowan was split off into Bertie Precinct in 1722, then part of Bertie County split off into Northampton County in 1741, then more of Bertie County and a little from Northampton & Chowan Counties split off into Hertford County in 1759, and finally, part of Hertford County and more of Chowan County split off into Gates County in 1779—these are the counties where most of the Harrells settled.

 

            So, for the people in Hertford County, early documents are in Chowan records, after 1722 they are in Bertie County records, and after 1759, if they still exist, they are in Hertford County records.

 

Because of the nearly complete burning of Hertford County records in 1862, it is necessary to attempt sorting the Harrells in all the adjacent counties in an effort to connect the Hertford Harrells to the first settlers in the Albemarle region. This is the long way around the identification of the ancestors of the first Hertford Harrells, and the evidence in fragmentary at best, but in most cases, it is all we have at this point. So in the following section, I attempt to piece together the information we have on the Harrells of the early Precincts—mainly Chowan and Bertie, as well as their derivative counties.

 [page 13]

Deeds in The Early Precincts and Counties

 

             The deeds help place people in regions as they first appeared and then settled in North Carolina. We must keep in mind, however, that simply buying land in an area at that time did not constitute living there. Often when one appeared as a witness on a deed, it was more indicative of his living in the area.

 

Pasquotank Precinct

 

            Even though we have records of Harrells in Virginia dating back as far as the mid-1620s, the earliest record of a Harrell in the old Albemarle area is “At a Court held at ye House of Richard Pope, Pasquotank Precinct, the 3rd. Monday in July 1694.... Edward May Clk. suit Edward Grainger vs. Rich’d Harrold.”[24]

 

This Court case illustrates government on the frontier, where government functions took place in the homes of the officials involved. This Richard Harrold was probably related to John Harrell of the Upper Parish of Nansemond County—they are probably the same John and Richard on the 1728 Right of Assignment in Perquimans County mentioned below.

 

Tyrrell County;

 

            As near as I can determine, the first land purchase in North Carolina by a Harrell was in 1715—when John Harrell bought land in Tyrrell County. I can not be certain it was John Sr. of Nansemond County, but he was one of the first to purchase land in several of the nearby counties, and that would be my best guess.

 

Robert and Martha Fewox sold John Harrell 150 acres on the east side of the Scuppernong River, on Mahomet Swamp on October 14, 1715.[25] The Scuppernong River travels from eastern Washington County into western Tyrrell County. Then it flows first northeast, then northwest into the Albemarle Sound. It is on the south side of  Albemarle Sound just across from Perquimans County, and it is just about 30 miles east of where the Harrells began buying land near the Roanoke and Cashie rivers of Bertie County a few years later.

 

Perquimans County Deeds

 

The first recorded document by a Harrell in Perquimans County was from John Harrell of Nansemond County, Virginia to Richard Harrell—Richard was probably John’s son. Richard paid 10 pounds for a “Right of Assignment” of William Kitchner, to whom the Patent was granted in 1728.[26] There was a John Harrell Sr. who stayed in Nansemond County long after several of his sons had moved into North Carolina. Apparently Richard got the right to buy the land from John Harrell in 1728, and the purchase was complete in the deed of 1737—John still owned adjacent land according to the 1737 deed. Deed activity for Harrells in early Perquimans County is summarized in Table 1 below.

 [page 14]

 

Perquimans County Deed Activity*

*The deeds for each person in Table 1 are as follows: John 1728, Book B, item no. 320, and Winslow, page 94 (John is shown still owning adjacent land in 1737); Richard 1728, Book B, no. 320, and Winslow page 94; 1737, Book C, no. 215, and Winslow page 113; 1745, Book E, no. 51, and Winslow page 140; Dempsey & wife, Susanna, Book H, no. 40, and Winslow page 215; James, Book H, no. 125, and Winslow page 222; Samuel Book H, no. 40, and Winslow page 215.

 

Richard Harrell was more than likely the first Harrell to settle in Perquimans County, and he probably left descendants there—several of his sons, however, ended up in southern Bertie County. Richard named his sons in his 1761 will, two of whom were Dempsey and James (the other two were Richard Jr. and John).

 

By the late 1760s and early 1770s, Demsey, and James Harrell owned land in Perquimans County, but James may still have been living in Nansemond County—Richard Sr. may well have had a brother named James who came down from Nansemond County, or a son named James. Demsey and James probably inherited their land because I have not found deeds recording the acquisition of land in their names. (James Harrell also sold a parcel of land in Chowan County in 1774, see below.) Samuel was old enough to witness Demsey’s deed in 1768. The deed activity summarized in Table 1 probably represents that of Richard Sr. from Nansemond County and his sons—who were more then likely born in Nansemond County.

 

Chowan Precinct/County Deeds

 

Before Bertie Precinct was formed in 1722, the deeds covering the area over to the Roanoke River should be with Chowan Precinct records. The deeds from the Gates area are included in the Chowan County records up to 1759, when Hertford County was established largely from parts of Bertie and Chowan counties. Chowan lost its northwest territory to Hertford, and then in 1779 lost its northeastern lands and people to the new Gates County.

 

The Harrell deeds listed in Table 2 are for Chowan County dating from the 1700s. Only one is dated “pre-Bertie” County—that is pre-1722. It reflects Francis Harrell’s purchase in 1721. Francis’ land was on the east side of the Chowan River, and consequently it did not get incorporated into Bertie Precinct in 1722. Thus, when Francis sold his property in 1731 and 1750, he was still recording his deeds for this property in Chowan County. It is hard to know how much time Francis spent in Chowan County, however, because he also owned property across the river in Bertie County. He was one of five Harrells in Bertie County on the list of “Arrears of Quit Rents,” for September 1729-March 1732, and it shows him with 240 acres in Bertie Precinct.[27] (The only Harrell on the list for the Chowan Precinct was Samuel Harrell.)

 [page 15]

In Chowan County after Bertie County was formed, but before Gates County, the deed activity for Harrells has been summarized in Table 2 below.

 

Chowan County Deed Activity*

 

            I have placed Richard and the John Harrells at the top of the list in Table 2 because they probably did not live in Chowan County. Richard was in Perquimans County and then southern Bertie County. John Harrell Sr. was more than likely John of Nansemond County, Virginia, who may have spent his last years in southern Bertie County. The other John Harrell who purchased land in Chowan County in 1754 was probably John Sr.’s son, who also bought land in several counties, but settled with several of his sons in southern Bertie County.

 

            The early purchase in 1730 by John Harrell of Nansemond County (John Sr.) was of land on the north side of Cypress Swamp between Eure and Gatesville—this is the Gates area of Chowan County that went to Hertford County in 1759, and back to Gates County in 1779. The other Harrells in Table 2 who bought and sold land in Chowan County were also, for the most part, in the area of Chowan that would become Gates County in 1779. (I refer to these lands as in the Gates area even though Gates County did not exist at the time.) The James Harrell in Table 2 was probably the same James of Nansemond County, Virginia who sold land in Perquimans County in 1770, and lived in southern Bertie County.

 

            The 1739 deed in Table 2 for one of the Samuel Harrells identified him as “Samuel Harrell, son of John Harrell, of Va.” Samuel was selling 100 acres to Peter Parker on November 10, 1739. The land was on Gum Branch at Bull’s Skull.[28] Orrin Harrell’s ancestor, Samuel I, was still alive [page 16] (he died around 1762), and presumably in the Gates area, in 1739, but Orrin’s Samuel was a son of Thomas Harrell. The immigrant ancestor of William Bernard Harrell, Samuel of Kent, was also presumably still in the Gates area in 1739 (he died around 1753), but it is not too likely a reference would have been made to him as the “son of John” if he were the Samuel born in Kent County, England. If Orrin and William Bernard had correct information about the origins of their respective Samuels, then there was clearly a third Samuel Harrell who owned land in the Gates area in 1739—and he was the son of John Harrell Junior of Nansemond. John of Nansemond and several, if not all, of his sons settled in northeastern North Carolina.

 

            While the information in Table 2 makes it clear that Samuel Harrells were in abundance in the Chowan Precinct during the early years, it is difficult to know which one of them was the property owner in 1729-1732 when he appeared as the only Harrell in Chowan Precinct on the “Arreas of Quit Rents” list—his taxable property was 221 acres.[29]

 

From time-to-time, land passed from one generation to another without a recorded deed—usually by inheritance which is probably why Richard, Samuel (son of John Jr.), and James could record a sale of land when there is no record of their purchase. When we are fortunate, a deed will contain a history lesson, as well as an example of how property transfers often occurred. For instance, the 1769 deed by Samuel of Chowan’s son, Samuel Junior, refers to a tract of land that was passed to him by the will of his father, and before that from his grandfather, Thomas, to his father also by will.[30]

 

The will of Samuel Harrell of Chowan (Orrin’s Samuel I) was written on October 1, 1761. His son, William, recorded the inventory of his estate January 25, 1762. In his will, Samuel of Chowan gave William the land he was living on at the time; his son, Isaac, the plantation he was living on, and a piece of land in Oystertong Neck; his son, Abraham, the land he was living on at the time; and his son, Samuel Jr. (Orrin’s Samuel II), was to receive the home plantation at the end of his mother’s widowhood. Samuel of Chowan also named his daughters, Rachel and Martha in his will. The executors named in the will were his sons William and Isaac.[31]

 

Samuel of Chowan’s son, William, died about a year after his father—his will is dated February 18, 1762. William named his wife, Elizabeth, and their youngest son, Samuel, who was not of age at the writing of the will, and who was to be cared for by William’s brother, Abraham. Once he came of age, William’s son, Samuel, was to inherit the family plantation. In his will, William also made reference to his “other Children.”[32] Orrin indicated that he had found a copy of the estate settlement papers for William Harrell, presented at the October term of 1766, in which four other children were named: Henry, Abner, Ruth, and Abselah.

 

There were no Chowan County deeds recorded for any Harrell from 1778 through 1825—for over 47 years after Gates County was split-off from Chowan, no Harrells bought or sold land in the latter county. Some Harrells in the Gates area may have owned property in what remained of Chowan County, but it would have had to pass from person to person by inheritance without a supporting deed. This may have been the case when finally in 1826 David Harrell etux. sold some property in Chowan County.[33] Also, not until 1826, when James Harrell purchased land in Chowan County did a “next-generation” [page 17] Harrell buy more land in that County.[34] In any case, the absence of deed activity by Harrells in the county for over 47 years strongly suggests few, if any, Harrells were living there during that time. Most if not all of the Chowan Harrells were living in the Gates area, and their names will reappear when we look briefly at Gates County records.

  

The Gates Area (in Chowan and Later Hertford Counties)

 

            The Gates area of Chowan County, for the most part, went to Hertford County in 1759, before it became part of the new Gates County in 1779. When Hertford County was created, it included that part of the Gates area which began on the Chowan River at the mouth of Bennett’s Creek (the area near the points where the present day Hertford, Gates, and Chowan counties meet), followed Bennett’s Creek mostly northward to the Gatesville area, then turned mostly eastward to just above Sunbury, and somehow ended up at the Virginia line. The older maps make it appear the line between Chowan and the new Hertford counties started at the mouth of Bennett’s Creek on the Chowan River and headed almost due north to the Virginia line. It should be a relatively easy matter to determine which Harrells in the area between the Chowan River and Bennett’s Creek were indeed in Hertford County and which ones remained in Chowan County between 1759 and 1779, but unfortunately the documents recorded in Hertford County were burned in 1830, and if not then, in 1862. Consequently, there are few surviving records to help us know which Harrells were cut to Hertford County for that 20 year period.

 

One of the earliest surviving records available for Hertford County is a tax receipt book kept by Sheriff William Murfree. This list includes the taxables in the county in 1779 who were cut off to a new county called Gates.

 

            The Harrells in Murfree’s tax lists are contained in Table 3. As near as I can determine, Adam, Elijah, John, and Thomas were all in the area of  Hertford County that had been in Bertie County prior to 1759—that is southwest of the Chowan River. The other Harrells in Table 3 were in Hertford County, east of the Chowan River between 1759 and 1779.

 

            When we compare these tax lists with the list of deeds recorded in Chowan County prior to 1759, we find that only Aaron, Jethro, Peter, and the Thomases were still around to be taxed in the Gates area of Hertford County. By 1768, however, Charles, David, Jesse, and Josiah had appeared as taxables in the Gates area. The Samuel Harrells as well as James and Isaac were apparently in the Gates area that remained in Chowan County until 1779.

 

We will get back to describing the possible Hertford County Harrells later, but first we need to continue the description of the Harrells in the area with a look at early Bertie County Harrells in an effort to detect which family lines were cut off into Hertford County when it was formed in 1759.

 [page 18]

  

William Murfree’s Tax Receipt Book: 1768-1770*